Device for forming barrel-pleats in draperies



June 5, 1962 ZUCKERMAN ET AL 3,037,556

DEVICE FOR FORMING BARREL-PLEATS IN DRAPERIES Filed April 14, 1959FIG.1. w Fl .2. ELGJ.

INVENTO R 5 ll? V/IYG ZUC/(ERMA/V Y M V/D BERE/VD JR.

United States Patent Ofiice 3,037,556 Patented June 5, 1962 3,037,556DEVICE FOR FORMING BARREL-PLEATS IN DRAPERIES Irving Zuckerman,Ar-dsley, and David Berend, Jr., New

York, N.Y., assignors to Cameo Curtains Inc., New

York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 14, 1959, Ser. No.806,253 4 Claims. (Cl. 160-348) This invention relates generally todraperies, and has particular reference to pleat-forming devicesintended to aid in the creation of rounded, tubular pleats oftenreferred to as barrel pleats. Such pleats are formed along the uppermarginal edge area of a curtain or drapery to attain graceful folds whenthe curtain or drapery is suspended.

It is an object of the invention to provide a simple, inexpensivepleat-forrning device which can be used in quantity by the home owner,enabling her to produce the desired pleated effect with great facility,and to obtain uniformity in the pleats with a of time and effort. 7 Itis another object of the invention to provide a pleatforming deviceWhose basic part can be made eccnomioal- 1y of plastic material, andwhich, when used in conjunction with a simple clip, will function tohold the curtain or drapery material smoothly and evenly around it inthe desired tubular or barrel-pleat formation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pleatforming device oftubular formation which can be adjusted to produce tubes of variousdiameters, whereby different decorative effects may be selectivelysecured.

Many types of pleat-defining forms have been heretofore proposed.Usually they are of relatively expensive character and of complexstructure. An objective of this invention is to provide a constructionwhich involves a minimum of parts, which can be manufactured incommercial quantities at low cost, and whose mode of use isuncomplicated and can be readily understood whereby the device can beused and re-used successfully by even inexperienced persons.

The improved pleat-forming device consists of only two parts. One is abody, preferably of plastic and preferably made of a single piece, andthe other is a clamp or clip which cooperates with the body and mayadvantageously be composed of metal. The body is used as a tubular formaround which the drapery material is snugly laid, and the clip serves toretain the material and the form together.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a sheetof relatively thin and flexible plastic material capable of beingfor-med into a cylinder or tube, with the ends of the sheet detachablyand adjustably connected together to maintain the sheet in its desiredtubular form. On the outer face of the sheet there is a raised, groovedrib which receives the clip in its grooves to hold the curtain materialsmoothly about the tube. The rib is provided on its outer face with anoutwardly-facing, integrallyformed suspension hook, by which thepleat-forming device and the curtain engaged by it, can be supportedfrom the curtain rod.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of theinvention is shown- FIG. 1 is a face view of the plastic element ofwhich the tubular body of the improved pleat-forming device is made;

FIG. 2 is an edge view of the element of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the tube that is formed from the sheet of FIG.1;

FIG. 4 is a top edge view of the sheet of FIG. 1, with a portion of thesame shown in section to disclose construction;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view, substantally on the line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a top view of two of the pleat-forming devices supported on acurtain rod, with the curtain or drapery material in position;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the upper margin of a part of acurtain or drapery with three of the pleatforming devices appliedthereto; and

FIG. 8 shows the spring clip.

The improved pleat-forming device consists merely of a tube-formingelement 1, made of a flat plastic sheet, and a spring clip 2 of hair-pinor U-shape shown in FIG. 8. These parts are simple and inexpensive tomanufacture and easy to use.

The sheet 1, shown in its flattened condition in FIG. 1, issubstantially rectangular in shape. Formed integrally with the body ofthe sheet and extending from one of its faces near one end of the sheetis a projecting rib 3. The rib extends from the top of the sheet to itslower edge and is provided along its opposite edges with the grooves orchannels indicated at 4 and 5. The outer end of the rib consists of theflange 6, and the rear face 7 of the flange 6 is provided with anoutwardly projecting suspension hook 8 formed integrally with the rib.Thus the sheet 1 and all the parts described, are integral, beingpreferably formed of a single piece of molded plastic.

In preparing the pleat forming device for use, the sheet 1 is rolled bythe user to form it into tubular shape as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. It ismaintained in this condition by separable fasteners carried by theplastic body and connectable in various combinations so that thediameter of the tube may be selectively altered. One way of achievingthis advantage, while still restricting the body construction to asingle integral element, is to provide on the inner face of the sheet 1a plurality of integral studs 9 adapted for selective engagement withholes 10 formed through the sheet adjacent to its opposite end. Thespacing and arrangement of the holes 10 is such that by the fitment ofthe studs 9 through selected holes the diameter of the resultant tubecan be varied to suit 'difierent decorative purposes. The shape of thestuds 9 with respect to the diameter of the holes 10 is such that asnap-fastener engagement is attained.

The spring clip 2, which cooperates with the tube formed from the sheet1, is shown in FIG. 8. It is of substantially hair-pin or U-shape,consisting of the two spring legs 11 and 12 integrally connected at oneend by the loop portion 13. The free ends of the legs 11 and 12 may beoutwardly splayed, as shown at 14, to facilitate the fitting of the clipin endwise manner to the rib 3.

'In use, a substantial number of the pleat-forming devices is fittedalong the upper margin of :a curtain or drapery. After the sheets 1 areformed into tubes as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, they are applied to theupper margin 17 of the drapery material, usually at uniformly spaceddistances, and the fabric is laid smoothly around the tubes in themanner shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, to form the desired barrel pleats 16. Asthe fabric is thus extended around each of the tubes, portions arebrought into the rib grooves 4 and 5. One of the spring clips 2 is thenfitted over the top of each rib 3 so that it straddles the rib and itslegs 11 and 12 extend into the grooves 4 and 5, thus clamping thecurtain material 17 therein and drawing the curtain smoothly and evenlyaround the forming tube.

After the devices have been fitted on the curtain as above described,the drapery is in readiness for immediate hanging on its rod, a portionof which is shown at 15 in FIG. 6. This is quickly and simply done bymerely placing the hooks 8 over the rod.

It will thus be apparent that the improved pleat-forming devices havenumerous advantages. Being formed of molded plastic, with the partsintegrally attached, they can be manufactured economically. They areeasy to use and re-use. They remain attached to the curtain, requiringremoval only when the curtain is to be washed or cleaned. Removalinvolves nothing more than an endwise withdrawal of the clamp pins. Thedevices can be arranged as close together or as far apart as desired;and this, coupled with the ability of the user to alter the diameter ofthe pleat-forming devices, makes its possible to produce many differentdecorative effects.

Although only a single embodiment of the invention has been describedand illustrated, it is obvious that the invention is not necessarilyrestricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures comingwithin the scope of the annexed claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A pleat-forming device for curtains or draperies, comprising aflexible sheet of plastic material having a relatively thick rib on oneof its faces near one end, the opposite edges of the rib being grooved,the outer face of the rib having a projecting suspension hook, theopposite face of the sheet having a row of projecting studs near saidone end, and the sheet being provided near an end remote from the ribwith a row of holes for accommodating the studs When said sheet isrolled into tubular form, said studs and holes cooperating to maintainsaid sheet in tubular form.

2. A pleat-forming device according to claim 1 wherein said sheet isprovided with a plurality of rows of holes for selectively accommodatingsaid studs whereby said sheet may be maintained in tubular forms havingdifferent diameters.

3. Pleat-forming means for curtains and draperies comprising a pluralityof independent pleat-forming members, each of said members comprising anelement of stiff yet relatively flexible sheet material capable of being4- rolled into a tube whose length exceeds its diameter, means fortemporarily maintaining said element in tubular form but permitting saidelement to be readily unrolled into fiat condition when desired, anoutwardly projecting rib located adjacent to one end of the sheet andextending in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubeformed from the sheet, said rib being narrow with respect to the lengthof the sheet and having grooves formed in its opposite edges, and a clipstraddling the top of the rib and provided with resilient legs extendinginto the grooves for holding parts of a curtain in said grooves, saidmembers being entirely disconnected and separate from one anotherwhereby they may be spaced at any desired intervals along the curtain,said means for temporarily maintaining said element in tubular formcomprising fastener elements for separably maintaining the ends of saidelement of sheet material in overlapping relationship, said fastenerelements being readily separable to permit the tubular form to beopened.

4. Pleat-forming means according to claim 3 wherein several sets offastener elements are provided which may be engaged alternately, thediameter of the tube formed being different depending upon the fastenerelements employed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS651,128 Arnemann June 5, 1900 1,819,240 Harrison Aug. 18, 1931 2,181,813Kaufman Nov. 28, 1939 2,466,912 Rice Apr. 12, 1949 2,514,118 BinsackJuly 4, 1950 2,544,516 Walters Mar. 6, 1951 2,891,552 Trussel June 23,1959

